Purpose and objectives:  
                  
The aim of the course is to develop candidates’ competence in Biblical Knowledge, Church Doctrine, and related matters. At the end of the course, candidates should have sufficient knowledge, skill and appropriate attitudes to undertake the following:

• lead in the Liturgical Offices of the Church
• preach sermons and read lessons
• read the services for the Burial of the Dead
• conduct non-liturgical and para-liturgical services.

Candidates must be suitable persons from churches within the Deanery selected by their Rector, Priest-in-Charge or Curate and must complete the specified Application Form which should be signed by the Clergyperson.  With the approval of the Rural Dean candidates may be accepted from other Deaneries within the Region.

Regional Programmes

Kingston Region - Lay Readers' Training
December 2009 to June 2011

CONTENT:

1.     BIBLE:   (a)  OVERVIEW OLD TESTAMENT   Date: Dec 5, 2009  Presenter: Dr. David Kuck
1. How the Bible came to be written
2. The various types of literature and books in the Bible
3. Major Biblical themes – Election,  Covenant,  Law,  Exodus
4. History – Patriarchs
    Judges
    Kings
    Exile
    Post-exilic Judaism
5. Prophecy
6. The Apocrypha

           (b) OVERVIEW OF NEW TESTAMENT   Date: Feb 22, 2010  Presenter: Dr. David Kuck
1. The world into which Jesus came
2. Development of the New Testament Canon.
3. Miracles, Parables, Sayings
4. The Gospels – authorship
      Date
      Concerns and emphasis
5. Major events in the life of Jesus Christ
6. New Testament Church (Acts of the Apostles)
7. The Pauline Epistles
8. The Pastoral Epistles
9. Apocalyptic Literature
10. Biblical authority

2.      LITURGY                       Date:    April 3, 2010   Presenter:  Canon Ralston Smith
1. The historical development of liturgy
2. The development of the Daily Offices
3. The authorized Liturgy
4. Prayer Book services
5. Conducting liturgical worship
6. The reading of scripture
7. The selection  and  use of Music in worship
8. The Christian Year
9. Liturgy & Evangelism

3.      PREACHING                  Date:              May 15, 2010 Presenter:  Bishop Don Taylor
1. What is Preaching
2. Liturgical Preaching
3. The preparation and delivery of Sermons – Language and style
4. The Sermon as a vehicle for ministry to people in their existential situation and
  experience.
5. Speech and Voice

4.       THEOLOGY                  Date:              June 19, 2009 Presenter:  Rev. Garth Minott
1. An introduction to the principles of Theology
2 God
3 Creation
4 Man
5 Salvation          (a) Sin            (b) Redemption
6 Christ
7 The Sacraments
8 Rites of Initiation
9 The Church

5.      PASTORAL CARE          Date:             July 31, 2009      Presenter:  Canon Ralston Smith
1. Principles of Pastoral Care
2. Spirituality – the person of the Pastor
3. Visitation of the sick
4. Ministering to the Troubled
5. Principles of Referral
6. Ministry to the Aged and Shut-in
7. Ministry to the Bereaved
8. Ministry to Youth

6. PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH ADMIN.   Date:  Sept. 4th, 2010  Presenter: Archdeacon Edmund Davis
1. Keeping of records
2. Models of Parochial Leadership
3. Responsibilities of Lay Readers – see duties

7. ANGLICANISM                     Date: October 16, 2010   Presenter: Bishop Alfred Reid
1.  History of Anglicanism – Outline                                          

2.  Anglican Understanding of Ministry
3.  History of Anglicanism in Jamaica
4.  The structure and organization of the Diocese
5.  The Canons
6. Church discipline

8. CHURCH AND SOCIETY –  ETHICS     Date:    Nov 27, 2010    Presenter: Canon Ernle Gordon
1.  A critical examination of cultural variables - Sects and cults
2.   The Gospel and Society – moral issues, politics, the economy
3.   The outreach programmes of the Diocese
4.   Untrodden pathways      (challenges)

9. CHURCH HISTORY                Date:    January 15, 2011            Presenter: Rev. Veront Satchell
1.   A brief history of the Early Church from Pentecost to 451
2.   Reformation History & Counter Reformation
                                         – special emphasis on the English  Reformation

10. EVANGELISM AND MISSION            Date: March 11, 2011 Presenter: Rev. Paul Bogle
 1.   What is Mission?
 2.   What is Evangelism?
 3.   What is the Gospel?
 4.   Methods of Evangelism

11. CHRISTIANITY                             Date: May 21, 2011         Presenter: Bishop Don Taylor
 1.   What is Christianity?
 2.   Prayer
 3.   The Christian Life

12. CHURCH MUSIC                          Date:  June  18,  2011     Presenter: Mrs. Jasmin Holness and                                               Mr. Winston Ewart                                                       
 1.   Hymns 

       Selection

SOME RECOMMENDED READINGS:
 1.   CORPENTIER. ETIENNE HOW TO READ THE OLD TESTAMENT, S.C.M. PRESS
 2.   CORPENTIER, ETIENNE HOW TO READ THE NEW TESTAMENT, S.C.M. PRESS
 3.   RICHARDSON, ALAN A THEOLOGICAL WORD BOOK, S.C.M. PRESS
 4.   ERDMAN, W.M.B.  CONCISE BIBLE HANDBOOK, ERDMAN’S PUBLISHING CO.
 5.   FULLER, R.H.  INTERPRETING THE MIRACLES, S.C.M. PRESS
 6.   HUNTER, .M.  INTERPRETING THE PARABLES, S.C.M. PRESS
 7.   ABBA, RAYMOND PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
        OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
 
 

For further information, please contact:
The Very Rev. Fr. Leroy Johnson or The Rev. Cheryl Phillips
Church of the Reconciliation
Bridgeport, St. Catherine
Tel: 988-1499
e-mail: reconanglican@cwjamaica.com